Editing Virginia (section)

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transportation in Virginia}}
[[File:Tysons Corner Sunset .jpg|thumb|The [[Silver Line (Washington Metro)|Silver Line]] extension of the [[Washington Metro]] system opened in [[Tysons, Virginia|Tysons]] in 2014|alt=A train station built over a busy intersection in front of several skyscrapers at sunset.]]
Because of the 1932 [[Byrd Road Act]], the state government controls most of Virginia's roads, instead of a local county authority as is usual in other states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/98-r29.pdf|title=Beyond the Byrd Road Act: VDOT's Relationship with Virginia's Urban Counties|first=Amy A.|last=O'Leary|date=April 1998|access-date=October 3, 2009|website=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208071140/http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/98-r29.pdf|archive-date=December 8, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, the [[Virginia Department of Transportation]] (VDOT) owns and operates {{convert|57867|mi|km}} of the total {{convert|70105|mi|km}} of roads in the state, making it the third-largest state highway system.<ref name=vdot>{{cite web |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/about/vdot_hgwy_sys.asp |title=Virginia's Highway System |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |date=February 13, 2018 |access-date=March 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511123917/https://www.virginiadot.org/about/vdot_hgwy_sys.asp |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Traffic on Virginia's roads is among the worst in the nation according to the 2019 American Community Survey. The average commute time of 28.7&nbsp;minutes is the eighth-longest among U.S. states, and the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes [[Northern Virginia]], has the second-worst rate of traffic congestion among U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://wtop.com/local/2020/09/dc-region-among-worst-nationwide-for-commute-times-ranking-reveals/|title=DC region among worst nationwide for commute times, ranking reveals|first=Mike|last=Murillo|work=WTOP|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> About 67.9% of workers in Virginia reported driving alone to work in 2021, the fourteenth lowest percent in the U.S.,<ref name=ahr/> while 8.5% reported carpooling,<ref name=acs_transit>{{cite web |url= https://data.census.gov/table?q=Means+of+Transportation&g=0400000US51&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S0802&moe=false |title= Means of Transportation to Work by Selected Characteristics |website= American Community Survey |publisher= U.S. Census Bureau |year= 2021 |access-date= January 5, 2023}}</ref> and Virginia hit [[peak car]] usage before the year 2000, making it one of the first such states.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/16/the-american-decline-in-driving-actually-began-way-earlier-than-you-think/?tid=trending_strip_2|first=Emily|last=Badger|title=The American decline in driving actually began way earlier than you think|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402203047/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/16/the-american-decline-in-driving-actually-began-way-earlier-than-you-think/?tid=trending_strip_2|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Mass transit and ports ===
About 3.4% of Virginians commute on public transit,<ref name=acs_transit/> and there were over 171.9&nbsp;million public transit trips in Virginia in 2019, over 62% of which were done on the [[Washington Metro]] transit system, which serves [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington]] and [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], and extends into [[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]] and [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax Counties]].<ref name=wmata>{{cite web |url= http://www.drpt.virginia.gov/media/2989/drpt-fy19-ridership-report.pdf |title= Transit Agency Ridership Report Fiscal Year 2019 |website= Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation |date= December 12, 2019 |access-date= March 31, 2021}}</ref> Commuter buses include the [[Fairfax Connector]], [[Fredericksburg Regional Transit|FRED]] buses in Fredericksburg, and [[Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission|OmniRide]] in [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]],<ref>{{cite news |url= https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2019/07/ahead-of-i-395-tolling-start-virginia-looks-at-more-bus-service/ |title= Ahead of I-395 tolling start, Virginia looks at more bus service |website= WTOP |first= Max |last= Smith |date= July 11, 2019 |access-date= March 4, 2020}}</ref> while the state-run [[Virginia Breeze]] buses run four inter-city routes from [[Washington, D.C.]] to [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]], [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]], [[Martinsville, Virginia|Martinsville]], and [[Danville, Virginia|Danville]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/08/12/virginias-answer-to-greyhound-shows-rural-areas-are-worth-serving/ |title= Virginia's answer to Greyhound shows rural areas are worth serving |newspaper= Virginia Mercury |first= Wyatt |last= Gordon |date= August 12, 2022 |access-date= August 15, 2022}}</ref> VDOT operates several free ferries throughout Virginia, the most notable being the [[Jamestown Ferry]] which connects [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] to [[Scotland, Virginia|Scotland Wharf]] across the [[James River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/ferry.asp|title=Ferry Information|publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]]|date=December 4, 2007|access-date=February 14, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211140857/http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/ferry.asp|archive-date=February 11, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>

Virginia has [[Amtrak]] passenger rail service along several corridors, and [[Virginia Railway Express]] (VRE) maintains two commuter lines into Washington, D.C. from [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]] and [[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]]. VRE experienced a dramatic decline in ridership due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia|COVID-19 pandemic]], with daily ridership dropping from over 18,000 in 2019 to 6,864 in February 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/vre-ridership-still-down-90-future-projections-uncertain/article_7178d1ba-6f50-11eb-b8fe-2775067580ca.html |title= VRE ridership still down 90%; future projections 'uncertain' |website= InsideNoVa |first= Jared |last= Foretek |date= February 22, 2021 |access-date= March 31, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.gazetteleader.com/fairfax/news/despite-current-travails-vre-looks-to-an-expansive-future-8551872 |title= Despite current travails, VRE looks to an expansive future |newspaper= GazetteLeader |first= Scott |last= McCaffrey |date= April 5, 2024 |access-date= May 2, 2024}}</ref> Amtrak routes in Virginia have however passed their pre-pandemic levels and served 123,658&nbsp;passengers in March 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://wydaily.com/latest-news/2024/04/29/amtrak-virginia-sets-another-record-with-march-2024-ridership/ |title= Amtrak Virginia Sets Another Record with March 2024 Ridership |newspaper= WYDaily |date= April 29, 2024 |access-date= May 2, 2024}}</ref> [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] operates a light rail system called [[The Tide (light rail network)|The Tide]], servicing about 2,300 people per day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bonina |first=Jared |title=Public Transportation Ridership Report |url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-Q1-Ridership-APTA.pdf |access-date=August 1, 2024}}</ref> Major freight railroads in Virginia include [[Norfolk Southern]] and [[CSX Transportation]], and in 2021 the state finalized a deal to purchase {{convert|223|mi|km}} of track and over {{convert|350|mi|km}} of right of way from CSX for future passenger rail service.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/virginia-rail-long-bridge/2021/03/30/335b0e34-90ed-11eb-9668-89be11273c09_story.html |title= Virginia seals deal for $3.7 billion rail plan, including new Potomac River bridge |newspaper= The Washington Post |first= Luz |last= Lazo |date= March 30, 2021 |access-date= March 31, 2021}}</ref>

Virginia has five major airports: [[Dulles International Airport|Dulles International]] and [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Reagan Washington National]] in [[Northern Virginia]], both of which handle over 20 million passengers a year, [[Richmond International Airport|Richmond International]] southeast of the state capital, [[Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport]], and [[Norfolk International Airport|Norfolk International]]. Several other airports offer limited commercial passenger service, and sixty-six public airports serve the state's aviation needs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doav.virginia.gov/airports.htm|title=Airports|publisher=Virginia Department of Aviation|year=2006|access-date=April 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429184947/http://www.doav.virginia.gov/airports.htm|archive-date=April 29, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Virginia Port Authority]]'s main seaports are those in Hampton Roads, which carried {{convert|61505700|ST|t|lk=on}} of total cargo {{as of|2021|alt=in 2021}}, the sixth most of United States ports.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wp.portofvirginia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2021-Trade-Overview.pdf|title=2021 Trade Overview|publisher=The Port of Virginia|date=August 7, 2022|access-date=August 15, 2022}}</ref> The [[Eastern Shore of Virginia]] is the site of [[Wallops Flight Facility]], a rocket launch center owned by [[NASA]], and the [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport]], a commercial spaceport.{{sfn|Goodwin|2012|p=305}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600880.html|title=At Va. Spaceport, Rocket Launches 1,000 Dreams|first=Michael E.|last=Ruane|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 17, 2006|access-date=September 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821071720/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600880.html|archive-date=August 21, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Space tourism]] is also offered through [[Vienna, Virginia|Vienna]]-based [[Space Adventures]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003675354_spacetours21.html?syndication=rss|title=Travel agency launches tourists on out-of-this-world adventures|first=Kim|last=Hart|date=April 21, 2007|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|access-date=May 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204111039/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003675354_spacetours21.html?syndication=rss|archive-date=December 4, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>